en
he had a stroke of luck.

On Fifteenth Street, by the side of Tiffany's great jewelry store, he
picked up a square box neatly done up in thin paper. Opening it, he was
dazzled by the gleam of diamonds.

The contents were a diamond necklace and pin, which, even to Rodney's
inexperienced eyes, seemed to be of great value.

"Some one must have dropped them in coming from the jewelry store," he
reflected. "Who can it be?"

He had not far to seek. There was a card inside on which was engraved:

MRS. ELIZA HARVEY,

with an address on Fifth Avenue.

Passing through to Fifth Avenue Rodney began to scan the numbers on
the nearest houses. He judged that Mrs. Harvey must live considerably
farther up the Avenue, in the direction of Central Park.

"I will go there at once," Rodney decided. "No doubt Mrs. Harvey is very
much distressed by her loss. I shall carry her good news."

The house he found to be between Fortieth and Fiftieth Street. Ascending
the steps he rang the bell. The door was opened by a man servant.

"Does Mrs. Harvey live here?" asked Rodney.

"What do you want with her, young man?" demanded the servant in a tone
of importance.

"That I will tell her."

"What's your name?"

"I can give you my name, but she won't recognize it."

"Then you don't know her."

"No."

"If it's money you want, she don't give to beggars."

"You are impudent," said Rodney hotly. "If you don't give my message you
will get into trouble."

The servant opened his eyes. He seemed somewhat impressed by Rodney's
confident tone.

"Mrs. Harvey doesn't live here," he said.

"Is she in the house?"

"Well, yes, she's visiting here."

"Then why do you waste your time?" said Rodney impatiently. He forgot
for the time that he was no longer being educated at an expensive
boarding school, and spoke in the tone he would have used before his
circumstances had changed.

"I'll go and ask if she'll see you," said the flunky unwillingly.

Five minutes later a pleasant looking woman of middle age descended the
staircase.

"Are you the boy that wished to see me?" she asked.

"Yes, if you are Mrs. Harvey."

"I am. But come in! Thomas, why didn't you invite this young gentleman
into the parlor?"

Thomas opened his eyes wide. So the boy whom he had treated so
cavalierly was a young gentleman.

He privately put down Mrs. Harvey in his own mind as eccentric.

"Excuse me, ma'am," he said. "I didn't know as he was parlor com